How optical filters are utilised in military technology
Optical filters in military technology play a crucial role in ensuring equipment can be used on the battlefield and in hostile environments under the widest possible range of conditions.
From reducing sunlight glare in desert combat, to infrared filters for night-vision goggles, optical filters are at the heart of many pieces of life-and-death military hardware.
This includes every type of optical filter, but especially:
- Absorptive filters to remove unwanted wavelengths (e.g. infrared filters)
- Dichroic and interference filters for custom bandpass applications
- Anti-reflective filters to avoid giving away the location of personnel due to surface reflections from glass scopes and other pieces of kit
Envin Scientific welcome all enquiries relating to military optics and optical filters, and have a proven track record of designing, manufacturing and supplying large quantities of bespoke optical filters for military use.
Common applications of military optic filters
We’ve briefly mentioned some common applications of military optic filters above, but here are some more details of where and when optical filters might be used in military technology:
Night-vision goggles
Night-vision googles can be overwhelmed by artificial sources of infrared light; therefore, to ensure compatibility with NVGs, military hardware should be fitted with infrared filters to block excess IR light output.
Daytime readability
Military personnel need to know they will be able to read screens and other displays in bright daylight, especially during desert combat and direct sunlight. Optical filters enhance readability and reduce glare for clear, high-contrast displays.
Anti-reflective coatings
As mentioned above, optical filters can reduce reflections from surfaces such as glass, reducing the risk of a tell-tale glint of reflected sunlight revealing an individual’s location. This is crucial in sniper operations and a valuable way to protect personnel in all covert movements.
Modern military hardware and optical filters
Modern combat means soldiers and pilots make ever-increasing use of data, requiring innovative ways to put real-time information where they can see it at a glance.
Optical filters are helping to enable this by protecting against laser light, while also allowing clear, crisp head-up displays (HUDs) to be manufactured at scale and at low cost to defence budgets.
Envin Scientific can design and manufacture bespoke bandpass and notch filters for military optics, meeting the very high standards and level of consistency needed by governments, defence departments and private contractors.
Our capabilities
Envin Scientific manufacture optical filters in-house to very tight tolerances. All of our products are fully tested and comply with recognised standards.
We can produce optical filters for wavelengths ranging from 175 nm to 8 microns, from 0.1 mm to several cm thick and on substrates up to 300 x 200 mm in size.
Our expertise allows us to miniaturise optical filters as far as physically possible, without compromising their functionality, including thin-film filters and combined laminated lenses.
We welcome all enquiries both from the public sector and from private defence contractors, and are happy to consult on what is physically achievable using the available materials, substrates, laminates and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.
To find out more, email Envin Scientific today or call us on +44 (0) 1829 771792 to talk to one of our specialists.
